Time to Move Forward
by joeshen
Summary: The Black Organization has finally been discovered and taken down. The Antidote is lost but time continues to move forward. How will the two affected by the Black Organization move forward themselves? ::Conan x Ai; Shinichi x Shiho eventually::
1. The Beginning of the End

Time to Move Forward

**Summary:** The Black Organization has finally been discovered and taken down. The Antidote is lost but time continues to move forward. How will the two affected by the Black Organization move forward themselves? [Conan x Ai; Shinichi x Shiho]

(A/N: Just a warning: A little AU; a little OOC; and a lot of thought required. To be honest with you, I'm not sure what I'm writing myself really, but it's something to fill the hole that is a blatant lack of stories for these two.)

* * *

"_It's finally over…"_

_10-year-old Edogawa Conan stood in the background as he watched Gin and Vodka being forced into the back of a police car. The blue-eyed kid could only watch through glasses that reflected the years of pain that were normally never seen on those eyes. Those eyes displayed years of restlessness; always desiring an answer to the multitude of questions that laid before him; the drive that could only lead to one answer that was the single truth; the single answer that could lead to the one truth._

… _after all, there was always only one truth._

"_Yes Kudou, but stop staring like that. You're going to give someone the impression you're somebody you're not."_

_The speaker walked up to Conan, stopping just to the right side of him. There was no acknowledgement of each other through meaningless greetings or friendly gestures; both were very uncharacteristic of their relationship. It was one of the protector and the protected; something that neither she dared try to change nor would he try to force her to think otherwise. It was an agreement made in the night, where one's tears would not stop falling for another. He promised there that he what befell one would not befall the other; that if he could, would stop those thoughts of being alone that always haunted her._

_He stayed in place, but his head turned to the side, looking at her face. "Oi oi, be a little more happy, would you? We caught them, it's finally over… She would've been happy to know that you were safe from them now."_

"_In the greatest victory comes the harshest reality." She kept looking straight, a combination of not wanting guilt to wash over herself and to not look at the sorrow in those brilliant blue eyes of his. It was something that she was truly sorry for. The original formula for the APTX drug had been destroyed, leaving behind only guesses and theories to what the formula is supposed to be. Without it, an antidote could never be created. Without it, no true counteragent could ever be made to combat her sin._

_Without it, they would never again be Kudou Shinichi or Miyano Shiho._

_Conan remained silent and looked forward, those blue eyes now reflecting a sadness running through. The silence remained as they watched the scene unfold. Inspector Megure shouting orders with Officer Takagi and Satou behind making sure all was being done to make sure the area was secure. No longer would Kudou Shinichi, the 'Great Savior of the Japanese Police Force' stand next to them. No longer would the 'Sleeping Detective' solve cases for them. No longer would the Detective Boys ever find another mystery. With the downfall was the end of one chapter and the beginning of another._

_After what seemed like hours but in reality was only minutes, he spoke. "Haibara, when will you ever learn?"_

_She looked at him, surprised. "Kud-"_

"_My promise isn't fulfilled yet, and until it is you're stuck with me. Time continues to move forward, whether or not we like it. All we can do is move forward with it… and until you can move forward on your own, my promise will remain unfulfilled."_

BRRRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGG

The sound of the bell rang throughout the school, stirring a certain strawberry blonde up.

"Falling asleep again Haibara? Hurry up and get your stuff, or else we're gonna end up doing another stupid pap-"

"You were saying something, Edogawa-kun?" The teacher in question had walked up behind him.

"Eheheheheh…"

"You know Kudou, you _really_ have a way with teachers."

It was the end of the school day, and 18-year-old Haibara Ai and Edogawa Conan were coming out of Teitan High, and in the end it was another 'extra assignment' that had been given to the duo.

"Haibara, I can't help but think that you only came back with the full intention of torturing me."

An evil glint flashed through her otherwise unchanged facial expression. "Now why would I want to do that?"

No response, instead merely choosing to sigh in defeat; Haibara Ai was somebody that couldn't be defeated in argument. In the silence the two walked back home, towards Hakase's house, but at the same time not. There was a new place that was called home now; for Conan, home was home again. As they opened the gate to the front of the house, the familiar "Kudou" nameplate on the front reflected the evening sun into the distance. It was a peaceful scene, one that Conan was glad to have.

* * *

A/N: Hey look! First chapter is done. I don't know where I'm going with this really… your guess is as good as mine. Somehow, writing becomes the illusional 'forte' of many when the span of time to do absolutely nothing is infinite.

The only thing I do know? I'll fill more of the timeline gaps as we go on.


	2. Memories

A/N: I know… you're all confused about what's really going on. As I said in the first chapter, I really don't know where I want to take this story other than weave a vague story.

A 'more direct' shout to dragoon-zerox, who I scorn for not typing me a review, but withdraw said scorn immediately for sending me a message with his critique. I reply to you by saying "it's not a time-skip, but a 'reliving through memory' deal" and that "that's what the italics were for." As for everything else you asked, we'll just have to wait and see how the deal pans out; I quite literally am making this up as I go.

Having said that, let's begin… my muse came back to me and I had a sudden inspiration to type this chapter.

(Uh… much later) Sorry about the delay, explanation below.

Chapter 2: **Memories**

Conan sat dejected at the table in the library. Being surrounded by the mystery novels of the greats always had a calming effect that could not be achieved anywhere else. The room itself looked both a disaster but also had the feeling of something lived in, and since moving back in had been rearranged to suit his needs. In the end, it meant that there were two sofas with a coffee table sandwiched in between. The table was littered with papers, books, pencils, pens… normal things. One of the sofas had his backpack occupying one side, while the other side sat a stuffed animal. It had been a gift…

'Ran…'

The downfall of the organization meant that she was no longer in danger, and thus free to travel anywhere. Thanks to the efforts of the FBI and Jodie-san, she was only made aware of the bare details of the Black Organization and its connections to the legendary Kudou Shinichi. It was the same 'red-tape' that she had to adhere to that perhaps made her unnoticed by those in the Organization. It was only after the downfall of the Organization, on that day, that she questioned the whereabouts of him.

It was, however, to no avail…

_She stood there, looking into the distance. The building was surrounded and there was no chance to escape. For months she had been worried about where Shinichi could possibly be, and why there had been no contact for so long. Cell phone calls went unanswered, text messages not replied, and even Heiji was of no use. It seems that he had just… disappeared._

_She feared the worse, and yet despite that she remained optimistic. 'It would never help if I don't put a strong front for the kids.' she would tell herself daily._

_It wasn't until Jodie-sensei had walked up to her after class one day that she knew just how complicated it was. A sticky note posted on her paper while she was handing tests back to the students. Instead of finding a grade on the corner, took its place was a simple message:_

_"Do not try to contact Kudou Shinichi."_

_Confused. Shocked. Angered… only some of the emotions running through her head through that class period. What did Jodie-sensei know that she didn't? After class and a lunch period later, she understood everything. Shinichi was undercover as an agent with the FBI targeting a crime syndicate only known as the 'Black Organization' and had left everything in the possession of the FBI. She was concerned that there were leaks within' the FBI and great lengths were taken to make sure nobody knew of his identity. Calling his cell phone asking where he was and why he wasn't calling back certainly wasn't helping his case._

_She stopped calling after that; all contact ceased entirely. "It's to ensure his safety." they said, but in reality she knew that it was also for her own as well. She continued to go to school, accompany her father on murder cases, and everything that defined her life. "Don't stray too far away from that Cool Kid of yours." she once heard Jodie-sensei tell her. She always did question his demeanor, but always just guessed that it was something attributed with being around Professor Agasa all the time._

_… but that was the past, and this is the present. She stood there, staring at the entrance of the building. People clad in all black, white lab coats, and police uniforms alike continued to pour out of the building. Not one of them was Shinichi. "Where is he?" she shouted to no one in particular, but hoping that somebody would be able to answer her question._

_"He's not coming back, nee-chan."_

_Ran turned around to see the bespectacled boy staring into her eyes. "Conan-kun, what ar-"_

_"It's too late."_

_… with that, he walked forward, closer to the entrance, stopping just in front of the police barricade denying him entrance. She continued to stare not at where he was, but instead where he was walking to. The entrance that he wanted to move forward to; where Shinichi was supposed to come out of. It was the symbol of their relationship; for her, always waiting for the answer to appear. For him, the end of one journey and yet the start of another._

"Kudou, stop looking so melancholy. It's not going to help your plight for sympathy."

He snapped out of his wonderment, looking up from the spot he laid on the couch to find piercing eyes looking at him from above. There were no looks of sympathy from the girl, no looks of compassion. There were just the eyes of a girl who could see through him into his soul; the truth.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Haibara."

"She's gone, but it's not like she's never coming back. Stop beating yourself over it."

"I let a part of me die that day…"

_The hustle and bustle of the airport was never one to be judged; many people entered and exited the place after all. For him however, it was as if time stood still. There she was, her things all packed and readying to leave for the world outside. She was going to London; starting a new part of her life. They didn't say much to each other; a simple sentence between the both of them._

_"Don't worry Conan, I'll come back and visit."_

_"Take care of yourself Ran-neechan."_

_And with that, she turned around and walked through the gate. It was time for her to start her journey. _

"She gave you a chance to move on." Once again it was Haibara's voice that brought him back from a dream. "Why not use it?"

"What do you want me to do! I loved her! How am I supposed to handle that I just let her leave like that? Tell me Haibara! JUST TEL-"

She grabbed his head and pulled it forward, planting her lips on his. It was sudden; his face was riddled with surprise and shock. She stopped just as soon as she started, release his from her hold and backing away. His mind was blank; himself speechless. All she did was smirk, turn around, and begin to walk away.

"Yenno Kudou, moving forward requires you to look ahead."

All he could do was sit there and stare aimlessly at the girl, wondering what was possibly going through her mind as to do something so unlike her character. As she rounded the corner however, another memory jolted his mind.

_She had left him for good. He stared at the gate that she had walked through. It seemed as though she was never going to come back._

_"I suppose it's time to move forward, but what do I do? She was a part of me, and now she's gone. What do I do no-"_

_He was stopped, instead flung around 180 degrees and could only see strawberry blonde locks, the smell of Haibara's shampoo flaring through and blinding his senses. She was holding him tightly in a hug, as if he was about to leave…_

_… and then she let go; walked back to the group of people waiting at the security checkpoint for the two to go out to eat. She stopped before the door, however, and looked back. _

_"Moving forward requires you to look ahead Kudou."_

A/N: Hey look, I actually finished the chapter. It's quite a feat seeing as how Architecture is really starting to take its toll on me. I habitually try to try something in anything I'm working on, but I never really am satisfied with it, and then more typing ensues and I just don't post it. I could've sworn the last time I typed this it was about 3 pages longer… oh well.


	3. Logic in Psychology

A/N: I'm surprised that people still read this. Maybe getting back into writing on wasn't such a bad idea after all. A lot of the people I befriended however have moved on from this place, so it's strange to come back and read this. Anyway, I figure that it was time for an update.

* * *

Chapter 3: **Logic in Psychology**

"What's wrong with him...?"

"Yeah, he's been acting weird all morning. He didn't even bother looking at Yagami-sensei when she was asking him about Sherlock Holmes."

"Maybe he's coming down with something. Hey Haibara, what's wrong with Conan?"

Haibara looked up from her fashion magazine, staring blankly at the 'Detective Boys' group as they all looked at her. It was lunch, and she didn't want to be bothered by the mundane "What are you talking about, he's acting weird?"

"Haven't you noticed?" Ayumi exclaimed. "All morning he's just been staring out the window!"

Mitsuhiko chimed in as well. "Yeah and whenever I ask him if he's alright, he just replies with "Strawberries and Vanilla." It's really strange; I wonder what he could be talking about."

Genta had a stern look on his face, as if hard in thought, before proudly announcing, "He's just hungry, let's just go get him some food."

Scoffing, Mitsuhiko quipped, "That's your answer to everything Genta, food. You need to go on a diet before you eat the world!"

"What'd you say?"

"Cut it out, you two!"

Unbeknown to the three of them, Haibara's cheeks were slowly changing color; a light pink hue slowly becoming visible. 'Is he still thinking about last night...?'

_Haibara had calmly walked out of the library and shut the door behind her before quickening her pace upstairs. 'Nee-san, you always did say that the best way to stop a guy from blabbering was just to plant one on him. But what am I supposed to do after that?' Finally reaching her room, she quickly fell on the bed, her head landing on her pillow and began replaying that scene in her head._

_She had just kissed Kudou Shinichi, the most insufferable person on the planet. She had also just kissed Edogawa Conan, another insufferable person who was chivalrous and sometimes just too much to handle with his quips. 'God, now I'm thinking of them like two different people...' she inwardly thought as she hugged her pillow, attempting to gain some insight through the choking of an inanimate object._

_After what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a minute or so, she turned and faced the ceiling and just stared at it… Laying there for what seemed like an eternity before falling asleep._

"What's wrong with you three, you're acting like children! Now stop bothering Haibara!"

Haibara was stirred out of her revelry from the previous night as the three 'Detective Boys' slowly dropped their heads down, a melancholy "Yes, Yagami-sensei." from them. She turned to Conan's seat only to find him not there anymore.

Ayumi spun around, all looks of sorrow erased from her facial features. "Hey, where'd Conan go?"

Haibara said nothing, instead putting her magazine down on her desk, stood up, and walked out the door. At this point the entire class was looking at her, knowing full well that she was going to find Conan without anyone's help.

…

Staring up at the cloudy sky was something that Kudou Shinichi was both used to and something that cleared his mind, especially when paired with a kicking soccer ball. It was his getaway from the reality of being the proclaimed 'Savior of the Japanese Police Force' and everything else. The "Kudou Shinichi Fan Club" was another reason that he got away from it all; those girls could certainly scream at the top of their lungs and chase him endlessly around the school (sometimes even further). Being here was a place to get away from it all and just be able to concentrate on the case at hand.

… at least, that's what it was for when he was _Kudou Shinichi._ As Edogawa Conan, he didn't have to worry about the rabid fangirls that were chasing him, didn't have to worry about the murder case at hand, didn't really have to worry about anything at all of his _previous_ life. In many ways, it was good to be relieved of such pressure, but at the same time there was that 'thrill of the chase' feeling that was missing.

"Somehow, I knew you would be up here."

Conan tilted his head down, staring blankly at the strawberry blonde in the stairwell. It was strange to see the Teitan High uniform on her, but had to admit that it fit her _quite_ perfectly. He wasn't going to straight out admit that to her, however… "Let me guess," she continued, "you're up here spending your time thinking of the past, reminiscing of when you were the infamous detective? Thinking back to the glory days as if you were somebody who was older than they look?"

She walked towards him slowly, as if trying to understand what he was thinking. A smirk present her face, trying to deceive Conan to reveal the truth. "Or maybe it's because this is a special spot, one that you shared with Ran. You two hid away here while your fan club raided your classroom, the hallways, and the lunchroom for you?"

Conan stood up and turned around to look at the scenery, leaning against the fence ignoring Haibara as she walked up next to him. "Is that what you two used to do? Stare into the distance and see the horizon? You telling her of the latest case that you solved whi-

"… she didn't know."

She stopped and looked at him, eyes trying to pierce through his soul. Words tried to stammer through her shock, to no avail. "What…?" Did she really not know about this place? She continued to stare at him while he just continued to look into the distance. A sad smile began to crack that outer exterior; a longing for his previous life perhaps.

"It's funny really… I used to come up here to avoid her because she would always complain about my fan club; about how they were always following me around and ogling me in every way, shape, and form. When I come up here, I have a sense of self where I could get away from the fan club telling me how she wasn't right for me, where I could get away from the constant mocking of being a "couple" from people, a place where I could get away from everybody else and think about a troubling case at hand…" Conan's sad smile faded away, turning instead and staring at Haibara squarely in the eyes. "Now this place reminds me of the times of a past that I should forget…" He turned his head back towards the horizon, a look of regret having replaced everything previous.

Haibara could only stare in disbelief at the person in front of her. Despite that, there was still something important that slipped his mind. She straightened out her skirt and sat down next to Conan. "You can never forget your past, only continue to live in the present…"

"How can you expect me to do that when it feels like I'm living in a world of déjà vu?"

"Am I part of that world of déjà vu?"

Conan turned and stared at Haibara, the look of sadness now on her face. How could he have been so self-indulging to not have known of what Haibara was going through? "Haibara… I forgo-"

Haibara placed a hand over the detective's mouth. "I don't really care for whatever reason you forgot, because that would spoil the moment. I'm enjoying myself, why do you have to go and ruin the moments I get?" She laid her head on his shoulder, a detectable pout on her face.

Conan shifted around a little bit, allowing her to fall into his body and wrapping his arm around her. "It's just who I am I suppose… always breaking promises." He sighed heavily, staring into the blue sky.

"You haven't broken the most important one yet; and don't you dare break it."

Far off into the distance, a man with binoculars sits on a rooftop near the two, eyeing them closely. "It might very well be for the better…" he said softly.

* * *

(A/N): I'm alive, sort of. After years and years of hiatus (I like life more than anything could ever really offer me). I decided to take up typing random stuff again; does it make sense? No, but then again, it never did. Anyway, enjoy the 3rd chapter, I still don't know what to do with this story honestly.


	4. Schrödinger's Cat

(A/N): What's up? The turn around time on this chapter was a lot faster since I'm all awake and what not now-a-days and have strange bouts of insomnia. Enough of that however, let's get back to wherever it is I somewhat left off.

*Remember... _Italicized text means past event _whereas _'Italicized text in a __**single quotation mark**__ is thought.' _

... just in case y'all forgot.

* * *

Chapter 4: **Schrödinger's Cat**

_It was a calm night and he had not come back yet. She stared at the door leading into the dorm room hallway. There was a nagging feeling that she would never see him again, as she had that every night. It was something that frightened her the most, but not something she would ever let the Black Organization ever see. The last thing she wanted to see or hear was the thought of somebody come into her room and say those horrible words..._

'_It won't happen… it just won't.'_

_An audible knock rang out throughout the room. Shiho slowly got up from her bed and walked towards the sound, cautiously eying the doorknob. Nobody she knew ever knocked; as the people she cared about the most had the extra keys to her room. As she placed her hand on the knob a chill went up her spine; something was horribly wrong._

_"Sherry, open the door."_

_Gin. She stopped dead in her tracks. "What do you want? I have no business with you." She gripped the door handle tighter; a conviction in her to not let him in._

_"For all the better then, because that rat white-haired bastard isn't coming back. Good riddance I say."_

_'Akai's dead?' Shiho slowly dropped to the ground; the weight of reality slowly hitting her fragile senses. 'First onee-chan, now him too?' _

_Slowly it was as if time seemed to suddenly sped up, and everything was a blur. Meticulously locking her computer with every known code she could think of; grabbing her sister's old car keys; throwing her entire APTX formula into a bag; going into the lab and destroying everything, grabbing the last remaining samples..._

_Time flew by, and suddenly she was in the driver's seat of the car. The car was parked in a remote residential area. Shoulders slumped over the steering wheel and looking downcast by the sudden turn of events, she sat in the silence to raindrops pattering on the car. Her right hand clutching a photo from before everything went horribly wrong, the day before Akemi died. She was the only family that she had left, and along with Shuichi, they were the only two people that she truly cared about._

_'Who is there now left now?' She opened her bag and grabbed a small bottle. This would be the only way out now. They would find all the documents containing the locations of all the bases for the organization in the trunk; there would be no way they could escape in time if there was a body found in car._

_The plan was perfect._

_She opened the bottle and hastily shook a pill out into her hand. 'This is what all my hard work has boiled down to, a lousy pill.' Eyes staring at the pill for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality only seconds, she swallowed the pill._

_It was quick, the burning sensation going through her body quickly. She began to wheeze and bend over the steering wheel._

_'My insides!' she thought as she blacked out; it was finally over..._

...

...

Haibara jerked awake in a cold hard sweat. _'A dream.' _She had this dream every so often; a reminder of how much earlier the Organization could've been discovered._ 'I should've been dead...' _she thought as she irritably ran her fingers through her hair. Why wasn't she dead? The drug was supposed to have no side effects. She was supposed to have died, be found by people who noticed a body in a parked car, and the organization would've been revealed. "What happened... why didn't they find the information even if nobody was in the car...?"

"Still thinking about that parked car huh?" Conan walked in holding a tray with a bowl of soup on it. "It wasn't your fault, nobody found the car for so long..." He placed the tray in front of her as Haibara sat upright on her bed. "Think about it Haibara, even if they did find out about the car, would there have been anything that could've changed?"

She eyed him with guilt and a sullen face eyed-down the bowl of soup. "You would've still been Kudou Shinichi."

Despite that, Conan didn't flinch; he didn't do much of anything other than pull out the chair that was next to Haibara's bed, sit down, and stare at her. There was no intensity, just an amiable expression of content.

... of course, this only was able to perturb a certain strawberry blonde more than anything. "That's all you have to give me, a stupid look of content? You could've still been The Great Detective of the East! You could've still had a life! You could be Kudou Shinichi still!" Her arms waving around in a whirl of motion did nothing to deter his bemused expression.

Exasperated, she laid her arms beside her; a defeated motion. Conan sat there with an amused expression on his face as if oblivious to the scene displayed. "How can you sit there and not feel hatred towards me?"

"Considering that there weren't any files in the trunk you were in, I don't think that killing yourself off would've been the best thing to do."

"No files?" Conan stood up, ignoring Haibara's facial expressions of surprise.

"Yeah, no files. There was something odd about what was in there, but at the time the Tokyo Police had no idea what it could've been. They chalked it up to the car just being abandoned from what we saw... it wasn't like they let me go look at the car, being a kid and all."

His face had the look of annoyance, remembering how Ran didn't let him go near the car because of a mysterious briefcase. He shook his head and began slowly walking out the room. "What's done is done, we can't change the outcome of something that has already happened. Just because Schrödinger's cat went into a box, how will we know if that cat was still alive?"

Haibara's shock had long worn off, instead a smirk on her face. "We look in the box, naturally."

Conan was already at her doorway, leaning against the right side with his back towards her. His arms crossed, he turned his head around and looked at Haibara, "Yet all we did was hypothesize if the cat was alive or not. Looking into that box would've destroyed the illusion and send us down another tangent of reality. By not looking into the box we get to wonder "what if" and get to continue on with our own lives we see in front of us."

"Your understanding of the theory is flawed, Kudou."

Conan furrowed his brow before turning around completely. "The cat is both alive and dead, but at the same time neither alive or dead..." And with that, began walking back into the library to work on the extra assignment that had been given.

Haibara just sat on her bed, looking at the doorway where Kudou occupied. As he was about to exit the doorway entirely, something barely audible escaped his mouth, "... just like us." Before Haibara could respond, Conan spoke louder from in the hallway, "Finish your soup before it gets cold; I need you healthy to fend everybody off for me."

Haibara merely looked down at the bowl in front of her. She had never been so confused in her life since that night in the car._ 'If there were no documents in the trunk, then what was in there?'_ Annoyed at her sudden thoughts, she picked up the spoon on the tray.

"I always never liked cats."

* * *

(A/N): Whew, finished. This one was a lot faster; guess I was in the mood to just type.

As I've previously said multiple times through the years: I'm completely making this up as I go. The only focus I really have regarding these two is their dynamic. This is, of course, an AU-type fanfiction. I don't regard a lot of the current Meitantei Conan chapters/manga in their dynamic because it's when they first met that was very unique to me.

Anyways, I'm sure I'll be making more connections between what has happened eventually, but for now enjoy... only because even I don't know when the next chapter will be. =/

_**Random Note:**_

**Schrödinger's Cat** - Schrödinger's Cat is a thought experiment, described as a paradox, devised by an Austrian physicist in the 1930s. A cat, along with a flask containing a poison and a radioactive source, is placed in a sealed box. If an internal Geiger counter detects radiation, the flask is shattered, releasing the poison that kills the cat. The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics implies that after a while, the cat is simultaneously alive and dead. Yet, when we look in the box, we see the cat either alive or dead, not both alive and dead.

You can apply this thought experiment to just about anything, replacing the cat as your condition. If we look directly into the box then we know the outcome, but if we see the effects of what is happening outside the box then we can guess what is happening, but that may not be right.

... something like that; I always took this theory with a grain of salt.


End file.
